9.2 | Peru: Machu Picchu and the Privilege of Travel

9.2 | Peru: Machu Picchu and the Privilege Travel

Tourism and its impact have been a consistent topic of discussion that come up frequently in our travels. A recent article also sparked a debate amongst a few of us. It’s not uncommon to hear people not wanting to participate or go somewhere because it’s too touristic. Machu Picchu was a great example. The debate of whether to visit or not loomed over us the months prior to our arrival to Peru. Some wanted the full Inca Trail experience. Others said the Inca Trail was saturated with travelers. Some thought the Machu Picchu was over-visited. Others wanted to do it for the gram.

What I’ve noticed recently is that the more we travel, the easier it is for us to lose sight of our privilege to travel. We complain about being tired of traveling or annoyed when there isn’t potable water from the tap or the inconvenience of a place that doesn’t have Uber or Amazon.

From comments about Asian tourists’ behaviours to the trash and why local...